Late one steamy Cam Ranh Bay AB afternoon, I returned
to my hooch to find my roommate, Dr. Victor E. Anspaugh " bummed" over a
disagreement he had had with his supervisor. Vic was the junior
"Vet" assigned to the 483rd USAF Hospital back in '71. His boss
intended to "put down" one of the Sentry Dogs that had recently
lost 13 pounds and would no longer bite during attack training. The
Major's diagnosis was Kidney failure but Vic insisted that the dog was
suffering from gastritis secondary to severe dental problems. Vic asked me
if I'd look at "Old Rex". In true "MASH" fashion
(which is how everything seemed to work at the 483rd Hospital) I, of
course, said yes.

As it turned out, I was the Dental Officer on
Duty scheduled for the next week. I would be the only one who would be in the
Dental Clinic that Sunday. Further enabling our "mission" for
Rex was the fact that our Commanding Officer, used to catch the
" Milk Run" to Saigon on Friday afternoons and didn't return
until late on Mondays. So, it seemed, his clinic was ours for the weekend.

On Sunday morning, Vic transported his gas machine (to sedate Rex) from the Vet
Clinic. I prepared the dental clinic for my four legged patient by
"borrowing" a Gurney from the E.R. situated next door to the
Dental Clinic. Rex and Sgt Patrick Higgins (his wary handler showed up around
mid-morning.

Rex was "gassed" by Vic to the point of unconsciousness
where I could safely work on his "action" end.

Poor old Rex had fractured off both lower
canines (undoubtedly on his chain linked kennel), and had exposed the
pulps of both of them. A tooth is a tooth. A dentist is trained to
repair teeth, I knew that I could help Rex. So after some discussion with
Vic, I started.

VSPA
is an association for USAF
Vietnam War Veterans who
served in Vietnam or
Thailand from 1960-1975,
as Air Police /
Security Police or as an
Augmentee.
Visit the main pages for
information on joining.